Philosophic Evolution. 177 



tinction to be found in Scholastic writers are already 

 exciting the wonder of the few who, following the 

 example of Sir William Hamilton, are beginning to make 

 acquaintance with them. But it may be that wonder 

 will ere long be much more widely excited by the 

 solidity of the reasoning those acute and delicate minds 

 thought out. A foretaste of such appreciation with 

 respect to the philosophy of this period has lately been 

 given us by one of its most distinguished opponents. 

 The Lord Rector of Aberdeen, addressing his subjects 

 thought it well to tell them : * 



" The Scholastic philosophy is a wonderful monument 

 of the patience and ingenuity with which the human mind 

 tried to build up a logically consistent theory of the 

 universe. . . . And that philosophy is by no means 

 dead and buried, as many vainly suppose. On the 

 contrary, numbers of men of no mean learning and ac- 

 complishment, and sometimes of rare power and subtlety 

 of thought, hold by it as the best theory of things which 

 has yet been stated. And, what is more remarkable, men 

 who speak the language of modern philosophy neverthe- 

 less think the thoughts of the Schoolmen." 



It may be well, perhaps, now to state the reasons which 

 make this increased appreciation probable. 



Mr. Spencer has remarked : " During all past times 



* See Contemporary Review, March, 1874, P- 667. 



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